CNS Canada — As traders exit the trading floor ahead of the holidays, canola futures continue to chop around amid thin volumes. “More and more traders are stepping away from the market, either because of holidays or not wanting to have big positions on ahead of them,” said Keith Ferley of RBC Dominion Securities in […] Read more
ICE weekly outlook: March canola fights to stay above $500
Christmas gift suggestions for green thumbs (and bee lovers)
A comprehensive how-to guide might be an ideal gift for someone keen on gardening, beekeeping, or starting a sideline enterprise
Reading Time: < 1 minute Know someone interested in commercial production? These Alberta Agriculture and Forestry books might be a perfect gift. Commercial Vegetable Production on the Prairies ($20 plus GST): A comprehensive 300-page resource and reference tool suitable for new and experienced vegetable growers at all scales of commercial production. Key topics included planning for vegetable production, seeding, transplanting, […] Read more
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow, says our weather expert
Being snowed in at Christmas has many advantages, argues Daniel Bezte, but big Yuletide snowstorms are relatively rare
Reading Time: 3 minutes The holiday season is about traditions, and so it’s time once again to do my traditional look at Christmas weather across the Prairies. In particular, a look back to see what the warmest and coldest Christmases were, and if there have ever been big Christmas snowstorms. I’ve shared this with you before, but at this […] Read more
Oh Christmas tree, how lovely are your branches
Provincial specialist offers his tips for finding the perfect tree for the fast-approaching holiday season
Reading Time: 2 minutes Christmas will soon be here, and picking out that perfect tree is a family ritual full of promise and fun. “Over two million trees are harvested as Christmas trees across Canada each year,” said provincial woodlot extension specialist Toso Bozic. “We have very few Christmas tree growers in Alberta. The eastern provinces, British Columbia, Oregon […] Read more
U.S. livestock: CME hogs notch three-month high
Chicago | Reuters –– Chicago Mercantile Exchange lean hog futures hit a three-month high on Friday, with help from buy stops and technical buying, traders said. December futures led advances after investors bought the contract and simultaneously sold deferred months. December hogs, which will expire on Wednesday, closed 1.05 cents/lb. higher at 56.725 cents (all […] Read more
This holiday season think green (as in green thumb)
Whether it’s high-res imaging, bugs, or cover crops, there’s no shortage of ways to make the family horticulturalist happy
Reading Time: 3 minutes With the holiday season upon us, there is one question causing the good people of the province to lose sleep at night: What to get the horticulturalist in their life? With that question in mind (and tongue firmly planted in cheek) I’ve compiled a list of ideas with something for every budget that is sure […] Read more
Living large — and eating only local — in a land of bounty
It’s a huge shift to eat only foods produced in Alberta, but the members of the Ruzicka family consider themselves ‘so lucky’
Reading Time: 3 minutes In a season where most people spend more, the Ruzicka family is learning to live with less. Shannon and Danny Ruzicka and children Madalynne, Joshua and Molly have been living on local foods since August. “Our experiment is to live off the Albertan land for a year — we live off what we grow, raise […] Read more
Every item of the feast has a great story behind it
When the table is set, give thanks to those who grew and processed the food — and all those who played a role in its history
Reading Time: 4 minutes My son gifts me a subscription to a Quebec-based cuisine magazine entitled Ricardo. The last issue had a little sidebar that read, “If you calculate the time elapsed from the moment seeds are sown, the festive meal takes an average of 295 days to land on our tables.” When you think about great meals in […] Read more
The gift of Christmas comes not in a box or bag, but in the heart
The holiday season can be a stressful, and painful, time — but also one for cherishing the true gifts we have been given
Reading Time: 3 minutes Seasons of celebration can be lonely times for many individuals and families. It is a time that lends itself to reflect on times past, love lost, and the empty chair in the room. A painful memory can easily overshadow the chaos and commotion — even when, or especially when, children are involved. We suffer in […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
